So you probably just finished reading our article on "Identifying the condition of your Beetle/Ghia suspension" If not, check it out here. You have determined that you want to lower your Beetle/Ghia. Let's review some products we provide to get you lowered correctly. We must identify if you are building a cruiser or a performer.
Cruiser - Small engine application, not built for speed, low and slow baby.
Performer - Larger engine application, built for performance, nice and tight, power to the ground.
Front Suspension
* PRObuilt Adjusters - Drop you anywhere your shocks and tires will allow for. By themselves, no more than 4" drop to obtain an optimal ride. Welders are needed to install these.
* Lowered Shocks - These shocks do not drop the vehicle. They give you the ride quality you are after. Bolt-on.
* Ultimate Narrowed and Adjustable Axle Beam - Built-in adjusters in the beam give you 7.5" of adjustability. Available in various narrowed widths to allow larger wheels, disc brakes, or track adders. Bolt-on.
* Drop Spindles - Drop you 2.5" from where you are currently. Link pin Beetle/Ghia owners will need special tools to install these.
* PRObuilt Drop Spindles - Fully assembled spindles by the PRO's at Airkewld. All ready for you to bolt on and go.
* PRObuilt and Assembled Axle Beam - Fully assembled by the PRO's at Airkewld for a turn-key solution tailored for your ride comfort and application. Bolt-On
Rear Suspension
* Lowered Shocks - These shocks do not drop the vehicle. They give you the ride quality you are after. Bolt-on.
Initial Understanding
If you want to drop your ride 3 inches and narrow your track slightly, go with a 2" narrowed/adjustable Ultimate Beam. You install it, and it looks great, exactly what you want right now. 6 months down the line, you want to lower it more. You can adjust the adjuster lower, or you can add drop spindles. Drop spindles would be ideal. You install them and find out that they add 3/8" to each side, and now you are rubbing on your fenders when you turn. How do we fix that? Well, you can;
* Buy a 4" narrowed beam to compensate for the added track of those drop spindles
* Buy smaller tires
* Buy wider fenders
* Or you could plan and determine what works best in the long run.
Here is another scenario. Now you have a 3" narrowed beam, drop spindles, and smaller tires on your ride, and you want to stop better. Disc brakes are a great option, but depending on the manufacturer and the route you take with your ride, options could be detrimental to buying another beam, tires, or even fenders....again. Some disc brake applications add track width. That is not necessarily a problem, but if you do your homework in the beginning, knowing that will help you make better decisions. So you buy disc brakes from another manufacturer, install them, and they add 1" of track width. What are your options? Well, you can;
* Buy a 4" narrowed beam to compensate for the added track of those disc brakes
* Buy wider fenders
* Buy a different set of disc brakes that do not add track
The same can be said about wheel choice as well. If you know which wheel you want to use when the car is done, let us know the wheels and any specs you can get. We will help guide you to the best possible route.
Where are we going with this? So do your homework and plan.
Soooooooo now you have to know, after all this reading, you are either building a cruiser or a performer.
Cruisers: If you are setting up for a bitchin' cruiser, you need a set of drop spindles, an Ultimate Shockless Beam, and some lowered shocks. If you have welding skills and can fabricate, substitute the Shockless Beam for a set of PRObuilt adjusters and narrow up your own beam.
Performers - You want to transfer power to the ground, and you want to be able to handle the power. We have the products to make that happen—Drop Spindles, an 4" Ultimate Adjustable and Narrowed Beam, and Adjustable Shocks. Airkewld gives you the ability to adjust your ride height and your ride quality all in one package and done the right way. Purchasing the parts al a carte, as a kit or PRObuilt assembled, we can set you up right!
The products listed in the article are designed to lower your vehicle correctly and leave you with a smile after installation.
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